Volunteering at Norwegian Church’s Christmas Bazaar 2016

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Patricia Zanuck

This year I switched things up and volunteered at the Norwegian Church’s Christmas Bazaar instead of just attending as a guest. My day was all about food which suited me perfectly.

For me, food has always been a main reason for going to the event. I come to eat foods I only eat once a year, to buy freshly baked goods from the bakery, and to stock up on foods and drinks for Christmas time. On this occasion, I was assigned to the kitchen and café, and that was an assignment I appreciated and enjoyed greatly.

My day started out with getting wienerpølser (Norwegian sausages) in a pot for simmering, stirring lapskaus (meat stew), and slicing geitost (goat cheese) for julebrød (sweet bread with raisins). Once the event officially began, I headed out to the café and served cake and sandwiches to eager guests. Continue reading →

Norwegian Language Opportunities in Los Angeles

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Patricia Zanuck

Norwegian Alphabet by Jana Johnson Schnoor

Norwegian is not in high demand so opportunities to learn and use the language here in Los Angeles are very limited. There are, however, two establishments that stand out as centers for Norwegian language and culture here in the Los Angeles area: Norwegian Church in San Pedro and Scandinavian Center in Thousand Oaks. At both places, you can not only pursue your interest in learning Norwegian, but you can also learn about Norwegian culture and customs. Continue reading →

It’s Norwegian Christmas Time!

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Patricia Zanuck

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I’ve gotten used to the fact that the Norwegian Christmas Fair happens before I’ve even had a chance to plan my Thanksgiving. I look at it as a way to begin the whole holiday season. This year I was grateful to have an American friend whose other half is Norwegian join me for the excursion to San Pedro. We headed down Friday morning to be there when the fair opened.

I love the warm welcome we receive as we enter, and the offer of gløgg (mulled wine, in this case non-alcoholic) and pepperkaker (ginger snaps) certainly helps put you in the mood for what’s waiting inside. The inside of the church is festive with Christmas lights and decorations.

Just as you enter, you’ll see The Bakery. Don’t delay buying baked goods because they run out. I especially like the ones that come right out of the oven. I always buy to bring home. The after school treat that day for my boys was a fresh skolebolle each along with saft I’d bought from the church store.

In the nave of the church you’ll find all the booths. They offer Scandinavian goods of all kinds, both imported from Scandinavia and homemade by members of the church. We arrived when the fair had just opened so the area around the booths was packed with eager shoppers. There was no way to take a picture that would actually show anything. I had to return and take pictures when all the first attendees were enjoying their lunches from the café. Continue reading →

Norwegian Language Courses in Los Angeles

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Patricia Zanuck

Bunad and reading * For more current information, please go to my new post: Norwegian Language Opportunities in Los Angeles. *

Occasionally, I receive inquiries from people in the Los Angeles area wanting to learn Norwegian. Norwegian is not in high demand so opportunities are very limited, if not non-existent. However, in the new year, the Norwegian Church in San Pedro will offer a course in conversational Norwegian with some emphasis on Norwegian culture and lifestyle. Starting January 10, 2015, instructor Olaug Macmillan will lead a class on Saturdays from 11am to 1pm for 10 weeks. A textbook will be available for purchase in class. The suggested donation for the whole course is $50. A minimum of 10 students is required. Please contact the Church at losangeles@sjomannskirken.no for more information.

(To make your trip to the Church even more worthwhile on the day of class, stay for some traditional Norwegian porridge. Every Saturday they serve porridge at 2 o’clock.)

The Church also offers a Norwegian course for children in grades 1 to 10. Skolegjengen currently meets every other Sunday at 1 o’clock. The fall semester is drawing to a close, but you can contact the Church about joining in the new year or next fall.

Skolegjengen consists of children who have Norwegian as a first or second language. All students work on the same topics, but tasks are adapted to different ages and levels. Students are taught Norwegian and given projects and activities about Norwegian culture, history, and geography. One parent must speak fluent Norwegian.

Skolegjengen performs at the Christmas Bazaar, Christmas service, and 17th of May celebrations at the Church. We had the pleasure of hearing them at this year’s 17th of May celebrations and they were a wonderful addition.

For more information on Skolegjengen, contact instructors Fredrik fbo@sjomannskirken.no or Marianne mhb@sjomannskirken.no.

* For more current information, please go to my new post: Norwegian Language Opportunities in Los Angeles. *

Christmas Bazaar 2014, just the beginning

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Patricia Zanuck

The season for Norwegian and Scandinavian events has begun. Yesterday I went to the annual Christmas Bazaar/Fair at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in San Pedro. It’s always held jointly with the Swedish Church the weekend before Thanksgiving. I’ve gone every year the last few years. I’ve even volunteered a couple of times in the past. This year I went alone on Friday, the first day it was open. Last year I went on the weekend with the kids and my parents who were visiting. The year before that it was just me and the kids (about which you can read more here). It’s always a very pleasant, low-key event.

A warm cup of gløgg and tasty ginger snaps welcome you as you arrive. And there’s a nicely decorated Christmas tree to put you in the mood as well. There’s Christmas music in the background, and on the weekend, you may be lucky to hear some live music as well. Continue reading →

Admiring the World’s Largest Rubber Duck at the Tall Ships Festival

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Patricia Zanuck

It was the huge, yellow rubber duck that piqued my interest. I didn’t realize it was part of the Tall Ships Festival LA in San Pedro until it was practically too late. Saturday evening I bought tickets for the family to go the next day, which was the festival’s last day here in Los Angeles.

The rubber duck welcomed us almost immediately upon arrival. It seemed a little deflated and was tilting a bit which was somewhat of a letdown. Upon further inspection, though, we think it was just the wind at that moment that caused it to sag because it looked much better later.

The Rubber Duck is a floating sculpture designed in 2007 by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. According to the artist’s website, it is an everyday object with which children all over the world are familiar and it “immediately connects people to their childhood”.

Kids and adults of all ages were excited by it. There was something surreal about seeing such an out-of-place object in this busy city port. At one point, a large loaded container ship was entering the port with the help of a tugboat and accompanied by a fireboat. Pleasure craft were also cruising alongside the tall ships. And then there was the large rubber duckie just peacefully hanging out. It was fun to watch all the activity.

(And for those of you who are local and missed your opportunity to see the world’s largest rubber duck, you still have a chance in the next two weeks. LAist tells you how here.)

Of course there was more to the festival than the world’s largest rubber duck. We got to take a look at some beautiful ships and learn a bit of US history as well. Continue reading →

Celebrating the Norwegian Constitution’s 200th Anniversary

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Patricia Zanuck

We pretty much overdosed on Norwegian culture this past weekend when we celebrated Norway’s Constitution Day. Maybe that’s par for the course since it was the 200th anniversary of the constitution. (A fact we learned, it’s the oldest constitution in Europe and the second oldest in the world after USA’s!) Every year there are two main events in the Los Angeles area to celebrate the Norwegian holiday. The first one is always on the actual day of May 17th at the Norwegian Church in San Pedro, and the other one is on the closest Sunday at Nansen Field in Rolling Hills Estates. We’ve never attended both in one year, but this year we did, and they were one right after the other!

The celebration at the Norwegian Church has traditionally been hard for us to attend since it means driving to San Pedro, about 30 miles away, on a weekday after school for a 5 o’clock event. After-school activities, sports, homework, and traffic have made that close to impossible. But this year, the seventeenth of May fell on a Saturday so many of the factors prohibiting us from going in the past were a non-issue this year. I seized the opportunity. As did over 500 other people! It was the biggest gathering ever. Continue reading →

Norwegian Church’s Christmas Bazaar (2012)

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Patricia Zanuck

Thanksgiving hadn’t even passed yet, and we attended our first Christmas event. Every year the weekend before Thanksgiving, The Norwegian Church in San Pedro hosts their annual Christmas Bazaar. It’s an opportunity to not only support the church by buying handmade goods and Scandinavian products, but also to remind Sonny and Doobie of some of the unique qualities of their heritage. Christmas is a special time in Norway and the church certainly recreates some of that.

The kids were a bit reluctant to go. It is a 30-minute drive away on the freeway (assuming no traffic) and they were happily and lazily enjoying their first days of Thanksgiving vacation at home. The promise of Solo and waffles did help get them motivated to go, however. I also told them they could help pick out something special to bring back home.

The bazaar is nothing super big and fancy, but it is very cozy and joyful. We were warmly welcomed with hot gløgg and gingerbread cookies in the entryway which was decorated with a Christmas tree. Just beyond that, we could see the Christmas lights on the booths and hear Christmas music playing. Right away the Christmas spirit came over us. Continue reading →

A Viking in LA

All things Scandinavian through books, films, and events in the Los Angeles area and virtually

Tag Archives: San Pedro

Volunteering at Norwegian Church’s Christmas Bazaar 2016

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Norwegian Language Opportunities in Los Angeles

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It’s Norwegian Christmas Time!

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Norwegian Language Courses in Los Angeles

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Christmas Bazaar 2014, just the beginning

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Admiring the World’s Largest Rubber Duck at the Tall Ships Festival

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Celebrating the Norwegian Constitution’s 200th Anniversary

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Norwegian Church’s Christmas Bazaar (2012)

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